PARKER TOLD THEM HE NEEDED MONEY TO PAY RESTITUTION FOR WAL MART FOR SHOPLIFTING. AN ATLAS 5 IS HEADING INTO ORBIT. IT LAUNCHED FROM CAPE CANAVERAL LESS THAN AN HOUR AGO. DAN BILLOW IS LIVE AT THE CAPE WITH MORE ON THE SATELLITE'S MISSION. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT. IT WAS JUST INCREDIBLE TO SEE THE 19 STORY ATLAS GO UP AND THE SATELLITE IS WELL ON ITS WAY TO ORBIT RIGHT ON SCHEDULE. WE HAVE LIFT-OFF OF THE UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE ATLAS 5 ROCKET. ON ITS WAY TO A PERCH IS THE LATEST IN MISSILE WARNING SATELLITES. PART OF THE EFFORT THE AIRFORCE SAYS MAY BE MORE CRITICAL NOW THAN IN THE COLD WAR DAYS. THAT'S BECAUSE THERE ARE MORE THREATS OUT THERE INCLUDING NORTH KOREA. THE SATELLITE WILL HANG IN SPACE IN A CLASSIFIED LOCATION CONSTANTLY SWEEPING THE GLOBE WITH HIGH-RESOLUTION SENSORS THAT CAN DETECT THE HEAT OF ANY MISSILE LAUNCH. IT TAKES A NETWORK OF SUCH SATELLITES TO COVER THE EARTH. IF NORTH KOREA LAUNCHED A MISSILE TOWARD THE U.S. THE SATELLITE WOULD PICK IT UP RIGHT AWAY. INSTANTLY THE WARNINGS WOULD BE TRANSMITTED TO SHIPS IN THE PACIFIC. SHIPS CAPABLE OF SHOOTING DOWN A NUCLEAR MISSILE BEFORE IT REACHES ITS TARGET. THE SATELLITE LAUNCH TODAY AT A COST OF MORE THAN A BILLION DOLLARS WILL BE ONE OF SIX SATELLITES IN A NETWORK. AND WATCHING THE ROCKET CAMERA UNFOLD WITH JUST UNBELIEVABLE AS THE FIRST AND SECOND STAGE SEPARATED. NOW JUST MOMENTS AGO THE SATELLITE ITSELF HAS SEPARATED FROM IT'S UPER STAGE AND THAT MEANS THAT THE LAUNCH IS ALL FINISHED. IT IS A SUCCESS AND THE SATELLITE WORTH 1 TO $2 BILLION IS ON ITS WAY TO THE RIGHT PLACE